Cotton picker



March 17, 1925. 1,530,151

. H. N. BERRY Cowon PICKER Filed Feb 28, 1925' 1o sheets-sheet A TTOHNEYS H. N. BERRY COTTON PICKER March 17,11925. f 1,530,151

Filed Feb.' 28, 1923 l0 Sheets-Sheet 5 v A TTRNEYS March 17, 1925. 1,530,151

H.N.BERRY j COTTON PICKER Filed Feb. 2e, 1925 l0 Shee 13s-Sheet 6 WIT/VESSES may@ ATTURNEVS March' 17, 1925. 1,530,151

H. N. BERRY COTTON PICKER March 17, 1925. L 1,530,151

H. N. BERRY COTTON PICKER Filed Feb. 28, 1923 10 Sheets-Sheet 8` March 17, 1925.

Il.v

H.N.BERRY l COTTON PICKER Filed Feb, 2s, 1923 sheets-sheet 1o Afro/Mfrs Patented Mar.17,1925.

UNITED STATES PA'riazNr OFFICE.

IIIRAM NEWTON BERRY, or GREENVILLE, MISSISSIPPI, AssIGNoR or -JNE-THIRD To CHARLES R. BERRY AND ONE-THIRD 'Io HUGH A. GAMBLE, BOTH or-GREENVILLR,

MISSISSIPPI.

eoTToN PICKER.

Application led February 28, 1923. SerialNo. 621,835.

To all 'whom vz'ztman/ concern:

Be it known that I, HIRAM NEWTON BERRY, a citizen of the United States, and a y resident of Greenville, in the county of Washington and State of Mississippi, have invented certain new and useful Improve-V ments in Cotton Pickers, of which the following is a specification.

My present invention relates generally to cotton pickers, and more particularlyl to cotton picking machines of that type wherein laterally spaced and opposed and vertically c isposed picking cylinders are utilized, having series of radially outstanding andrapidly rotating picking fingers.Y These cylinders are usually vmounted within the frame of a-vehicle adapted to straddle a row ofcotton so that the cylinders may .revolve at opposite sides of the plants whereby in their revolution, geared as they are to revolve at a speed equalling the speed of movement of the vehicle, little if any destructive effect upon the cotton plants is occasioned and the rapidly rotating picking fingers freely pass into Vand-through the plant seekingthe open cotton... Such cotton as is encountered by the fingers is4 by 'virtue of the rapid rotation of these fingers twisted or wrapped around the tips of the picking fingers and pulled away from the plant owing to the revolving movement of the picking cylinders.

In addition to the foregoing, machines of this nature lcommonly employ some means .for taking the cotton off of the picking fingers and transporting it to a point where it may be collected in quantity, and the mechanism for accomplishing the removal of the cotton from the picking fingers, commonly known as the stripping mechanism, ordinarily coacts with the pickinglingers at certain points in the circumferences of the cylinders removed or spaced from those points where the picking lingers in action enter the. cotton plants.

Continuously operating machines of this well known type of mechanical picker have been subject to. numerous disadvantages the result of which has been-to limit and curtail successful employment in practical use, and among these disadvantages, Certain of outstanding importance may be mentioned. In thc first place it hasnot. up to the present time. been possible Ato utilize picking fingers in sufficient number around the cylinders toy effectively perform vthe picking operation and as a consequence it has not been possible with this type of machine to cleanly pick a :field of cotton. In the second place provision for properlubrication of the parts and for the exclusion of dust, dirt and other foreign matter from the necessarily great number ofsmall gears, have been neglected to such an extent that excessive wear has been the natural result, making it practically impossible to maintain the machines in effective operating condition for an appreciable time.

Another outstanding disadvantage `has been the difiiculty, and in most instances this has resulted in extreme inefficiency, of removing the cotton from the picking fingers after it has been picket. In other words the mechanism known as the stripping mech-, anism has been sadly ineffective even in 'conv parison to the 'picking mechanism which is. itself of doubtful efficiency as above pointed out.

My invention aims to provide a practical efficient machine which will avoid these disadvantages, which may be easily adapted to short or tall cotton plants, and which will be strong and durable in use. -In the accompanying drawings which illustrate my present invention `and form a part of this specification,

Figure 1 is a side elevation of the complete machine.

Figure 2 is a top plan view thereof,

Figure 3 is an enlarged side view in detail of oneV of the picking cylinders and the stripping mechanism applied thereto, certain of the parts being broken away and in section,

Figure 4 is an enlarged top plan view in detail of one of the picking c vhnders and a portion of its stripping mechanism, parts being broken away and in section,

Figure 5 is a vertical sectional view through one of the picking Cylinders,

Flgure' is a horizontal section through the same,

Figure 7 is an enlarged detail plan view of certain of the driving Connections of one of the. cylinders and certain ofthe driving connections of the picking lingers thereof,

Figure 8 is a top plan View of one of the stripping devices, certain parts being broken away and in section,

Figure- 9 is a vertical sectional view through one of the stripping devices, 1

Figure l() is a fragmentary sectional view enlarged. and in perspective showing-certain portions of one of the cylinders and illustrating indetail the internal lubricating connections thereof,

Figure 11 is an enlargedvertical section 'through a portion of one of the cylinders and through certain of the supports of the picking fingers thereof,

Figure 12 is an enlarged detail perspective view of portions of certain of the stripping belts, i

` Figure 13 is a detail perspective view showing a fragmentary portion of one of the cylinder sections and the several parts of one 'of the picking fingers and its supports and connections, in detached relation, and

Figure 14 is an enlarged detail perspective view of one of the picking lingers and la portion of its support, in detached relation.

Referring now to Figures 1 andl2 in par-' ticular I have shown an apparatus embodying a frame generally indicated at 15, movably supported upon front and rear. wheels 16 and 17 of which the formermay for steering purposes be mounted in forks 18,

l the latter turnable in bearings 19 Vupon the vertically forwardly extended upper portion 20 of the frame. The particular steering connections, which I have briefly shown may include arms 21 as best seen in Figure 2 having a connecting tie rod 22, and to one of which arms a connecting r'od 23 extends from a drag link 24. This link may have a geared connection at 25 with a steering shaft of any suitable form, aportion of which is indicated at 26 in lFigure 2.

The rear wheels 17 are in practice driven through connections which for purposes of convenience may include chains 27 and 28, the former depending from sprockets at the outer ends of the rear shafts 29, to sprockets upon countershafts 30, 'and the latter extending rearwardly from the countl ershafts 8O to sprockets secured upon the rear wheels vso that Ethese latter and their supports generally indicated at 31, may yield under control of supporting springs 32 mounted in the frame 15.

The rear shafts 29, journaled in the frame in transverse alinement, are shown-in Fig-A ure 2 as extending from a differential 33 to which a short drive lshaft 34 leads from a 4 transmission case. 35 in which suitable selective speed gearing connects the drive shaft 34 with the shaft of a motor generally indicated at 36 havings it's'shaft at the rear upperI portion of the frame 15 connected by gears '37 with a-blower generally indicated at 38 to which a snctionplpe 39 leads from cotton collectors 40 having forwardly extending cotton intake tubes 41. .t At its opposite sides,- andintermediate the 'front and rear wheels 16 and17, the frame 15 has cylinder supporting portions 42 and is provided with approximately semicylind rical shields 43 at the outer sides of these portions 42. r c

Rigidly secured .in the upper and lower members of each of the supporting portions 42 of the main frame 15 is a vertical shaft 44,l and upon each of these shafts a picker cylinder `1s.monnted, the construction of which is -a particular part of my presentinventlon and 1s best seen from a consideration 'of `Figures 3, 5 and 6. fIn Figure 5 in par' ticular it willbe noted that each cylinder is Amade up of a vertical series of horizontal sections 45 of ring shape, preferably provided with 'inwardly projecting bottom llanges'46` terminating around their inner edges in upstanding lips 47 whereby to forni a vertical series of oil troughs each of which has an overflow pipe 48 opening downwardly through the same with its upper end upstanding to a pdint slightly below the upper edge ofthe upstanding innerlip 47 of the flange 46 .whereby oil delivered onto the flange 46 ofthe uppermost ring section 45 of the cylinderwill be collected until it overflows to the next lowermost ring section and so on down throughout the entire series of ring sections. l

Each cylinder includes a base plate 4.1 and a top plate 50, these base and top lplates preferably having roller bearings 51 and 52 on their supporting shafts 44 and' comcircumferential ribs and grooves indicated at 5 4. At radially spaced intervals, a series of vertical shafts 55 are journale'd to rotate within the cylinders,fand the upper" ends of these shafts project above the top plate 50 and have grooved pulleys 56. Above the. liange 46" of each ofthe ring sections 45, each of the circumferential series of shafts 55 has abevel gear a urpose which will be presently described.

ach cylinder as a -whole -is rotated by virtue of an upper inte al-gear ring 58 around the outer'edge o its top plate 50, which gear ring is engaged by a pinion 59 most plainly seen in Figures 3 and 7 This pinion 59 is mounted upon .the lower of a vertical shaft 60 having at its-upper end a bevel gear 61 engaged bya bevel gear 62 upon an upper l transverse shaft 63 whose 57 secured thereon for outer end carries a sprocket 64 connected by a sprocket chain 65 with a secondtransy ber 74 has a smooth 83 which thus secures the locked tive shaft 75, Whose 68 to a sprocket 69 upon one of the differential shafts 29 and which as most plainly seen in .Figures 2 and 4 is preferably engaged by n'ieans of a 'clutch member 70y adjustable so that the two sprockets 69 through which power flows from the differential shafts to the picker cylinders may be free `in order to permit the machine as a whole trude, seeking out. the cotton bells with minimum tearing or destructive effect upon the plant itself including its leaves.

By reference .particularly to Figures 10 andj ll it/will be noted that each ring section 45 of the cylinders has a circumferentialseries of radial Wall openings. 72, each threaded to receive the inner threaded end 73 o f the shaft bearing .member74 of one of the-picker fingers 7l. Each bearing meniaxial bore forming a portion of its respecinner end in the asparticularlyin Fivbearing for the inner sembled position seen ing member 74 andthus into the respective ring section 45 and through the sleeve 76 of a bevel gear 77. This sleeve 76 is adapted to receive thereon 'a slightly dished gear 78 and is provided with a lengthwise key79 which extends into a keyway 80 of gear 78. -The sleeve 76 also has diametrical openings 81 adapted 4to register with a diametrical opening 82 spaced from the inner end of the shaft 75 so as .to receive a taper pin gears 77 and 78 to the shaft 75. In the assembled position of the parts, a washer 84 around the shaft 75` is held b v a transverse -pin 85 against the outer end of the shaft bearing member 74, the 'outer end of shaft 75, beyond bearing member 74. being externally threaded as at 86 and axially bored as at 87 and having longitudinally extending and diametrically opposed slots 88.

Each picker finger 71 has a cylindrical inner portion 89 adapted to slidably'interfit the hore 87 of-its shaft and has a fiattened portion between its outwardly projecting gradually tapering body and its said'inner cylindrical portion 89. which flattened portion forms side Wings 90 adapted to project into the diametrical slots 88 so as to thus A of cotton plants in which the picker lingers 7l may thus pro-- foreign matter.

ure 11, lprojects inwardly beyond the beati:-

`2, 3, 4 and 5 and as effect a rotating connection between the picker finger and its shaft. Each picker finger is held in place by a hollow nut 91 which threads on the portion 86 of the,

shaft and' has a tapering outer end with a reduced opening so as to form an abutment against the wings 90 of the picker linger in order to hold the latter in place as best seen in Figure l1. A protecting cap 92 has a reduced opening 93 at its outer end through which thel respective picker finger 7l extends, and this cap is adapted to extend over` the nut 91, the outwardly projecting portion of the shaft 75-as Well as the outstanding body portion of the shaft bearing member 74 upon the latter of which the cap has a snug frictional engagement by virtue of its-inner polygonal portion 9-l and it thus'becomesobvious that in the assembled position of the parts as plainly seen in Figure l1, the cap 92op`erates to effectivelyl protect the outstanding portion of the shaft Vagainst the entrance of trash land The arrangement just described including the bevel gear 77- applies to the central' picker finger of each series of pins around each of the ring sections of each cylinder, it being noted from an inspection of Figure 6 that the picker pins are arranged in series of three of which the bevel gear 77 of the central finger is radially opposite one of the `vertical shafts 55 before described and in mesh with one of the bevel gears 77 of such' shafts. It will also be noted that this arrangement permits of the application and use ofpickerfingers in a number greatly exceeding anything heretofore Apossible and that from the central'inger of each' series of three fingers, rotation is transmitted to the,y other two fingers of the series through interengagement'ofthe dished gears 78 with which all ofthe fingers are provided..

. For the rotation of `the several vertical shafts 55 arranged. in circumferentially spaced relation Within and around each cylinder, the pulleys 56 a-t the upperends of the shafts are engaged by belts 95 extending from pulleys 96 mounted on a short vertical shaft 97 atwhose upper end is a bevel gear 98 engaging a bevel Y end of the shaft 66 beforementioned, andv plainly seen by a comparison ofV Figures y most plainlyv seen in Figures 4 and 7 itis obvious ,that only a certain numberA of the shaft pulleys 56y will beengaged by the belt and these will be constantly changing during rotation of the cylinder with the result that as eac-h of the shafts 55 approaches the inner portion 'of the periphery of its 4respective cylinder it three picker lli() gear 99 at the innenv will be engaged by the belt 95 and those'v picker fingers will be rotated and this rotation will con-- 71 under the influence' thereof tinue until in the revolution of, the cylin der the shaft passes at the outerportin of the periphery of its respective cylinder between the sides of the belt where for a space in therotation of the cylinder the shaft will be capable of movement free of the belt.

Thus as the picker fingers approach the point at which they enter the cotton plant they commence to rotate whereby when they contact with the cotton-the latter will be twisted on the rotating fingers and pulled from the plant. During subsequent revolution of the cylinderthe fingers continue to rotate with the cotton pass out of the influence of the belt between its two sides as. above explained and it is during this period `while free of. the rotative influence of the belt 95 that the cotton is 'removed from the picker fingers. To promote this removal means are provided whereby the picker fingers'may at this time be given slow rotation on their axes in a direction opposite to the direction of their rotationwhen the cotton was twisted thereon and for this purpose the upper end of the shaft 60 has a quadrant 100 'rigidly secured thereto and outstanding therefrom with its' curved peripheral portion formed to frictionally engage the pulleys -56`while the latter are Vout of the influenceof belt 95. lThe actual removal of cotton from the picker lingers takes place at the time. while two lstrips they are in course of slow reversedrotation andis accomplished by a vertical series of stripping belts 101, each of which as most plainly seen in Figure 12 is composed of secured to one another with parallel cross wires and the like 103 whose ends project' above and belowT the strips 102.A These belts extend between the picker fin ers in a vertical series, around guide ro ers 104, one of which is shown in. Figure 8, journaled at the outer ends of arms which are in two parts 105 and 106', and the inner ends of which arms are mounted to swing horizontally upon a vertical guide rod 107 secured in the frame of the machine to the rear of each of the picker cylinders. At their opposite ends the belts 101 pass around the guide portions 108 of a cylinder 109 secured upon 'a vertical rotatable shaft 11G-whose It will be. noted from Figures 2 and 4.

in particular that the stripping belts 101- extend in a series at-a tangent to each of 'the picker cylinders so that the inner-,run of the stripping belts engages the 4cotton thereon until they.'

narily 102I of suitable flexible material the cotton itself takes place externally of the 'of a clamp 120.

the upper end of 'the which is twisted'on the picker fingers, while moving at a direction toward the ends of the fingers, and at a time as before stated when the fingers'are slowly rotating in a direction reverse to that at which they were rotating when. the cotton was twisted thereon. j

:The stripping action is continuous by virtue of the rapidly movin stripping belts which pull the cotton enwise from the picker tion so that it may be caught by the forward ends ofthe suction-'pipes 41 which forward ends communicate" with vertically disposed cotton intake members 41 as s een -in Figure-1. 4

It thus. becomes obvious that all of the actual operation on the cotton itself takes place externally of the two picker cylinders and it.. likewise. becomes obvious that the several stripper belts,'extending as they -do between" the vertically spaced annular se- -ries of picker, fingers, will be guided by the latter to an extentL suiicient to ordiavoid all danger of displacementv from their guide rollers 104 and their actuating cylinders 109, particularly in view of the fact that the stripping -belts are all held under tension by virtue of their supporting arms,

and the inner portions 105 of which fingersf71 and in a rearward direchave cylindrical extensions A116 Aslidable within the tubular inner portions 117 of the sections l106 and engaged by inner springs 118 (see Figures 8 and 9) which tend to force the two sections and 106 away from one another.- l

The fact that the. actual.. operation upon "troughs as seen in Figures 5 and 11.

-In order to maintain lubricant within the oil troughs, an oil pump is utilized which may be of the ordinary gear type having. its casing 119 rigidly secured within each cylinder to the upright shaft 44' as by means pump, seen at 121' particularly in Figure 10,- de'pends from the pump casing 119 and has' its lower-end opening at a point slightly above'the base plate 49 of each cylinder as rlhe intake pipe to the for the transmissionA indicated in Figure 5 and the outlet pipe 122 extends upwardly from. the pump casingr and hasan upper I angular delivery arm 123 opening into the upper oil trough. The drivemshaft 124 offthe -oilpump depends frolhlthe pump casing 119 and has a gear 1,25 at-sits lower end in meshwith the gear 126 disposed around the lower portion of the cylinder shaft 44, with its hub 127 connected as by means of a set screw 128' and the like around a'sleeve 129 upstanding from the base plate 49. y

. It becomes obvious from the foregoing that in the forward movement of themachine as a whole under power of the motor .36 through the connections including the differential shafts 429 and the driving chains 27 and 28, the two opposed and laterally spaced picker cylinders will be driven so that their inner portions move in -the direction opposite to that of the direction of movement of the machine and, by virtue of the fact that the driving connections for actuating these cylinders proceed from the differential shafts 29 and are pro erly proportioned to do so, the peripheral) speed of the picker cylinders is approximately the same-as that of the movement of the ma Vchine as a whole so that in (the course of passage of the cylinders along opposite sides A of a 'row of cotton plants, the multitude of picker fingers proceed into andthroughout the foliage of tle plants in order that these picker fingers may considering their number be reasonablycertain of coming in contact with every open cotton boll, and at the same time with minimum danger .of break.-

, ing the lbranches or otherwise tearing or dedanger of missing a nature and is stroying the foliage, of the plants.

At this point attention yis particularly called to the structure of the cylinders themselves which byreason of the sectional fab--v rication readily admits` of increase or decrease inthe vertical lengths of the cylinders in order to whole to plants of different heights, it being a well known -fact that cotton plants are much taller in .some localities'than in others, in addition to the-difference in' this'. respect that exists between cotton of different varieties.v

' that durlng the movement ofthe picker fingers with the revolving cylinders in their actual contact 4with 'the cotton plants, they V arein a rapidly rotating state vby virtue of their driving connections and to the further fact that these driving connections in so far as they 'are located within the confines ofl thepickercylinders, are such aspto admit of the use of a maximum number of picker vfingers in order to reduce to a-minimum the any cotton bolls which A are open ready for picking. This gearing Just referred to not onlypromotes the great advantage attaching' thereto as just above mentioned, but is also of Va str-ong effective especially durable and lackmg in danger for frequent replacements, by virtue of the fact that the cylinders'as constructed completely enclose I and .protect the gearin against the adverse actlon of dirt, trash and during action.

adapt the machine as a 1 which project between l of picker fingers may be readily swung out- Attention is also called to the fact picker fingers, are of breakage and the necessity,V

other foreign matter and virtue of the further fact of the provision I have made for constant thorough lubricationof each and every gear, picker finger bearing and the llike through the use of oil troughs in which the great majority of the-gears are -set to run and the further provision of efficient .non-failing means for keeping'these oil troughs full to overfiowing at all times xperien'ce hasshown that it is 4not necessary to actually ,ro'ughenthe cotton engaging-portions of the picker fingers and it is therefore contemplated in practice that these lingers will simply be machined with@ out polishing or burnishing so that while they may be thus adapted to effectively take up and wrap the cotton thereon in view of their speedy rotation on their own axes, the

'subsequent operation of stripping the cotton from the picker fingers will be rendered as easy 'as the'circumstances admit.

After the cotton has-been picked, that is wrapped upon the picker fingers, the latter in their further movement with the revolvmg .cylinders become detached from the wardlyy free of the picker fingers whereby replacement or repair when this becomes necessary may be accomplished in a ready simple manner.

In so far as thesubsequent disposition of the cotton is concerned, that is its 'transpor tation away after being stripped from the picker fingers, my invention contemplates the use of any suitable suction apparatus and.- the connections shown and described for this purpose must therefore be consid- -ered only as one of the many ways final disposition of the cotton may be accomplished.

I also desire that it be understood that my improvements relating principally as they do to the mechanism for taking the' cot ton from the plant in the firstinstance and then stripping the .cotton/*free from the capable of being lutilized with varlous forms of moving machines, proceeding either under theirk own power or through the use of draft animals.

I claim:

1. In a cotton picker, a pair of laterally of each vertical axes and each consisting of a veropposed picker cylinders revoluble upon vertical axes and each consisting o f a. vertical series of ring shaped sections clamped within the ring sections 'in .series of three entirely therearound, the central shaft of each series having a second gear, a picker finger detachably connectedto the outerend' of said shafts to rotate therewith, a series of vertical shafts within and around each cylinder having an exteriorly projecting upper end, gears mounted on -said vertical shafts at spaced points in their bearing members and intercnga 'in the ring sections in series 4 tirely therearound, the central shaft of each length and disposed opposite and in engagement with the said 'second gears of the central shafts of the various series, and means engagea-ble with the exteriorly `projecting upper ends of the 'shafts for rotating the same. .A 2. Inl a cotton picker, a pair oflaterally opposed picker cylinders revoluble upon tical series of ring shaped sections clamped together, each section having an annular series of apertures, bearing members threaded in the 'said apertures, shafts having bearing through said members, gears secured' .upon the shafts beyond the inner vends of said ing witho three enseries having a second gear, a picker iin? ger detachabl connected to the outer end of each of said shafts to rotate therewith, a series of vertical shafts within and around each cylinder having an exteriorly projecting upper end, gears mounted on said vertical shafts at spaced points in their length and disposed opposite and in engagement with the said second gears of the central shafts ofthe various series, said exteriorly projecting ends of said upper shafts being provided with pulleys and connections 'for rotating the vertical shafts including a belt extending to one side of each of the cylinders and with which the saidv ulleysof the vertical shafts are engageab e and disen-4 gageable during revolution of the cylinders. 3. In a cotton picker,'a pair of laterally opposed picker cylinders revoluble upon vertical axes and 4each 'consisting of a vertical series of ring shaped sections clamped together, each section having` an annular series of apertures, bearing members threaded 1n' the said apertures, shafts vhavlng bearing through said members, gearsdsecured upon.'the shafts beyondthe inner ends o within the ring sections series o t 'ree the said' apertures,

vtical axes and f ably said bearing memberw interen a 'ng series having a second gear, a picker finger detachably connectedto the outereiid 'of each of said shafts to rotatetherewith, a series of vertical shafts within vand around each cylinder' havingan exteriorly projecting upperend, gears mounted on said vertical shafts at spaced i and disposed opposite and vin engagement with the saidsecond gears of the central shafts of the Various series', said exterior-ly projecting ends of said upper shafts being providedwith pulleys and connections for 'rotating the vertical'shafts including a belt extending to one side of each of the cylinders and with which the said pulleys of` the vertical shafts are .engageable and disengageable during-revolution cf the cylinders, and a stationa quadrant with which the said rollers of tie yertical shafts are enga cable while free of contact with the said bets.

4.l In a cotton icker, Aa pair of laterally points in their length opposed picker cy inders revoluble upon vertical axes and eachconsisting of a vertical series of ring shaped vsections clamped together, each section having an annular series of apertures, bearing members threaded in shafts having bearing through 'said members, gears secured upon the shafts beyond the inner ends of said bearing members and interengaging within the ring sections in series of three entirely therearound, the central shaft of each series having a second ear, a picker lfinger .detachably connecte v to the outer end of each of said shafts to rotate therewith, a series of vertical shafts within and around cach cylinder having an exteriorly projecting upper end, gears mounted on said vertical shafts at spaced points in their length and disposed opposite and in engagement with the 'said second gears of the central shafts of the various series, and means engageable of the shafts for rotating the same, eabh of said ring' sections of the cylinders having an inwardl projecting annularV oil trough in which t e said shaftconnecting gears are rotatable. A

5. Ina cotton vicker, a pairof laterally opposed picker cy each consisting of a vertical series of ringshaped sections clamped together, each section having an annularss-ries of apertures, bearingmembers threaded in the said apertures,

the shafts beyond the inner ends of said bearing members and interengaging within the ring sections in series of three entirely therearound, the central shaft of each series having a second gear, a picker linger detachconnected to the outer end of cach of said shafts to rotate therewith, a series of vertical shafts within and around each cylinder having an exteriorly projecting inders revoluble upon Ver# 'shafts having bearing I through said members, gears secured uponv Cai upper end, .gears mounted on said vertical shafts at spaced points in their length and disposed opposite and in engagement with the said second gears of the central shafts of the various series, an'd means engageable with the exteriorly .projecting upper ends of the shafts for rotating the saule, each ot' said ring sections of the cylinders having an inwardly projecting annular oil trough in which the said shaft connectinggears aro rotatabl'ekand each of said oil troughs having an overfiow member opening into the next lowerlnost troue'li.

In a cotton pic er, a pair of laterally opposed picker cylinders revoluhle in spaced relation upon vertical axes and including a vertical series of ring shaped sections clamped .together and each plovided with an internal annular trough, an annular series of picker fingers radially outstanding from each of said ring sections, means for rotating the several picker fingers during their revolution with the cylinders including gearing within the cylinders ini engage; nient with one another within the said troughs of the ring sections, and means e1:- teriorly of and adjacent t-o each of the cylinders for stripping cotton from the picker fingers.

7. In a cotton pickera pair of laterally opposed picker cylinders, revoluble in spaced relation upon vertical axes andv including a vertical series of ring shaped sections clamped together, an annular series of picker fingers radially outstanding from Leach of said ring sections, means fo-r rotating the several picker' fingers during their revolution with the cylinders including gearing within the cylinders in engagement with one another and meansexteriorly of and `adjacent to each of the cylinders for stripping cotton -from the picker fingers, said last. named meansoperatmg between the vertically spaced annular series of picker fingers and consisting of flexible belts having wires embedded therein and projecting beyond the edges thereof.

S. Ina cotton picker, a pair,y of laterally spaced and Opposed` picker cylinders, connections for revolving the same about'their vertical axes. a pluralityof vertically spaced annular series of picker fingers carried by each of said cylinders and rotatable on their own axes, vertical shafts gea-*red to said fingers and having pull ys at one end, belts engaging said pulleys w ereby to rotate each thereof during a portion of each revolution of the cylinders, stationary quadrants with which the fingers are engageable-to rotate each finger in a reverse direction during the remainder of each revolution of the picker cylinders, and means shiftable between and 4away from the fingersvforripping cotton Afrom the said picker finge s during their reverse rotation.

9. ,In a cotton picker, picker cylinders each formed of a vertical series of concentric r1ng.\ sections and having means to lock the said sections together whereby each cylinder radiating from each of the cylinders, means f for revolving the cylinders, means for rotating the picker fingers during revolution of the cylinders, including gearing within the cylinders, and means within each cylinder for constantly supplying oil tothe rotating gears of the picker fingers. A

11.111 a cotton picker, picker cylinders each forming an oil chamber therein, picker fingersradiating from each `cylinder, means forrevolving the cylinders,'and means for rotating the picker fingers during revolution of the cylinders including gearing located within the cylinders.

12. In a cotton picker, picker cylinders each having wall openings, bearing members ,threaded through the wall openings. shafts whose inner portions are journaled through the said bearing members, having 'externally threaded outer ends provided with lengthwise. bores and with diametrically op'` posed slots, picker fingers having cylindrical inner end portions disposed Within the v shaft bores and having flattened portions intermediate their ends forming side wings to extend into' the diametrical slots, and tubular nuts 'aro-und the picker fingers engageahle ywith the threaded portions ofthe said shaft-s and having partially closed outer ends for confining the wings of the picker fingers. n

13. In a cotton pielter, picker cylinders each having wall openings` bearing members threaded through the'wall openings, shafts whose inner portions are journaled through the said bearing members, having externall threaded outer ends provided with lengthwise bores and with diametrically opposed slots, picker fingers having cylindrical inner end portions disposed within the shaft bores and having fi'attened portions inter# mediate their ends forming side wings to extend into the diametrical slots, tubular nuts around the picker. fingers with the threaded portions of the said shafts and having partially closed outer'l ends for confining the wings ofthe picker fingers, and caps of tubular form to surround the said tubular ends and the outwardly projecting portions of said shafts, having means engageabl l to telescope land frictionallyfengage the out- Wardlyprojecting portions `of said bearing- 'l members.

l 14. A cottonpicker of the type described l'includ-ing picker fingers having elongated taperin'gouter portions and cylindrical inner portions and having flattened sections :intermediate the tapering and cylindrical portions forming side wings for the pur-4 pose described.

15. In a cotton picker, revoluble picker cylinders having radially outstanding rotatable picker fingers arranged in vertically spaced annular series, stripping means for the said cylinders includin a series of verti- -cally spaced stripping be ts extending between the series of fingers and provided'with -stripping elements projecting beyond their oppositesides and shiftable supports for Said 20 belts with which the latter are movable into and out of effective engagement with the 16. In a cottony picker, vertically. disposed revoluble pickencylinders, vertically spaced annular series.olf"rotatable picker fingers radiating from said cylinders, and a series. `of vertically spaced stripping belts having stripping elements'projeeting' beyond the edges thereof and swingable'v supports for .holding said elements at one side of each of saidv cylinders wlth their inner ends extending between the series of -picker fingers and shiftable toward andawa-y from thesame. A

17. In a `cotton picker, y vertically disposed revoluble picker cylinders, vertically spaced annularseries .of rotatable picker fingers radiating from said cylinders, and a series 'of vertically spaced stripping one side of each of said cylinders' with their inner ends extending between 'the series ofpicker fingers, and means to swingably support the said innerendsof said stripping belts for shifting movement beyond and 'out of contact" with the picker-fingers.

18. In a cotton picker, vertically disposed revoluble picker cylinders, vertically 'spaced annular series of rotatable picker fingers carriedby the cylinders, series ofvertically spaced stripping belts mounted at one side of each olf said cylinders and normally disposed tangentially with'respect to the cylinders with their innerv ends projecting between the series-of picker fingers, vertically rotatable cylinders around which the outer ends of said. belts extend and angular-ly shiftable arms having rollers at their ends belts having stripping elements projectingn beyond the edges thereof and disposed. at4

aroundwhich the inner ends of said stripping belts extend.

19. In a cotton picker, vertically disposed revoluble picker cylinders, vertically spaced annular series of rotatable picker fingers carried by the cylinders, series of vertically spaced stripping belts mounted at one side y of each of said cylinders and normally disosedtangentially with respect to the cyllnders with their inner ends projecting bctweenthe series of picker fingers, vertically rotatable cylindersaround which the outer ends of said belts extendy and an ularly j shiftable-arms having rollers at 'their ends around which the inner ends .of said stripping belts extend, said arms being in sect-ions and havingsprings between the sections thereof to maintain the stripping belts "under tension at' all times.

,standing therefrom Ahaving gears at ver- .tically spaced points thereon, said picking fingers being arranged in horizontal series 4of which the fingers of each series are in 4geared connection --withrone another` one of thelfingers of each' series being alsoprovided with a gear meshing with one of the gears of said shafts, and means engaging said' shafts for rotating the fingers.

22. In' a cotton picker, [a picking cylinder, picking fingerslradiating from said cylinder, vertical shafts-in an annular series within and around the cylinder and upstahding therefrom' having` gears at vertically spaced points thereon, .said picking fin'ge'rsgbeing` arranged in horizontal series of which the fingers of each series are 1n geared connection with one another, one of' the fingers f each series being also provided with a gear meshing with one of the' lgears of said shafts, saidl shafts projecting above the cylinder and having pulleys therel on, and means with which the pulleys are engageable during revolution of the cylinder, for rotating the picking fingers.

l HIB-AM NEWTON BERRY. 

